1948 Pilothouse Wiring

[gbhdrake383]

I'm starting to teardown my 1948 B1 and i would like to know if there a wiring diagram for it. I know there's one floating around for a 49 not cant find one for a 48. Here is the one I found for a 49. Is there any difference between the 2 years? 

[Los_Control]

48 was he first year of the pilot house, I cant think of any difference between the 2. Maybe the radio is different? I doubt it.

I have a 1949 and a 1952, 

electrical I can say the horn for my 52 is on fender well, 49 on firewall.

Radio on 49 is left of the column, 52 is right of the column.

Heater switches will depend on your heater model and not the truck model, you may have a single or 2 speed fan motor.

Not sure about wipers, seems some have electric and some vacuum.

But all the major items like lights, starter, ignition etc are the same.

 

The differences between a 49 and 52 are so minimal, I doubt there is any difference between a 48 and 49.

But I have been wrong before 

Good luck and glad to see you working on it again.

[gbhdrake383]

16 minutes ago, Los_Control said:

48 was he first year of the pilot house, I cant think of any difference between the 2. Maybe the radio is different? I doubt it.

I have a 1949 and a 1952, 

electrical I can say the horn for my 52 is on fender well, 49 on firewall.

Radio on 49 is left of the column, 52 is right of the column.

Heater switches will depend on your heater model and not the truck model, you may have a single or 2 speed fan motor.

Not sure about wipers, seems some have electric and some vacuum.

But all the major items like lights, starter, ignition etc are the same.

 

The differences between a 49 and 52 are so minimal, I doubt there is any difference between a 48 and 49.

But I have been wrong before 

Good luck and glad to see you working on it again.

Thanks. thats a huge help. Thats the weekend job so just wanted to know before i start

[JBNeal]

I hate to pick nits, but the horn on all models '48-'53 mounted in the same place:  a firewall mounted bracket above the engine, even the optional dual horn setup.  I have seen many examples online and in person where someone has installed an older trumpet-style horn or dual horn from a different vehicle in the B-series engine compartment;  the truck did not leave the factory that way but if it works then run with it...

Also, even though the '48-'50 used a vertical radio (or had a knockout plate ) and the '51-'53 used a horizontal radio (early models had a knockout plate, later models included a cutout template with the radio I think), all models had optional radio assemblies mounted left of the steering wheel on vehicles with left hand drive, with installations done not at the factory but at the dealership or elsewhere.  This location on the dash coincides with mounting provisions made on the firewall.  However, there is so much real estate in the dash for radios, gauges, control switches, etc., you certainly have the option to install whatever ya want, wherever ya want, to meet your needs.

As far as the main wiring harness is concerned, the only difference that I can think of is that the '48-'50 horizontal gauge cluster has 2 back light bulbs, whereas the '51-'53 square gauge cluster has 1 centrally mounted back light bulb.  Optional equipment and controls varied slightly but most is interchangeable thru each model year.

If you are interested, I put together an optional wiring diagram incorporating turn signals and a headlight relay.  Some folks have found it useful

[Bobacuda]

If you can build and install proper harnesses, matching your old ones, with color coding, soldered, crushed and insulated connectors in  one weekend, my hat is off to you.  I worked on my B4B's for about 80 hrs, removing the old wires and tagging each wire on the end where it went, cutting open the old wire harnesses to match the new wires to the old harness to keep it the same, correct 6V wire, slip on the shrink tube, solder the end of the wire, put the uninsulated connector on, crush it in place, re-solder the connector and wire, pull up the shrink tubing and shrink it, then tag the ends to match the original harness.  Build all the wires in a harness, use the old harness for the model and tape the wires to create a new harness that is the appropriate length (get a helper or two to hold the wires), and finally, once all the harnesses were built, install them.

If you can do that in a weekend, you are kin to either Westinghouse or Tesla  Don't be shocked if it goes a little slower than you think.

[Jeff Balazs]

Wouldn't Tesla have perfected open air power transmission by 1948?

[Plymouthy Adams]

 

Tesla yes...others would still be scheming a manner to make off with the patent

[Flathead Flatbeds]

Funny, I'm in the middle of rewiring my 48 right now. I have built a new harness with help from this website:  http://dodgepilothouseclub.org/know/wiring_harness/wiring.htm

The .pdf download at the very bottom of the page lays it out well. the only issues I've run in to are that I have a B-1-HA, requiring longer wires to the rear lights, and the wire from the ammeter to the coil wasn't long enough. Otherwise, it has been correct and easy to build.

[Bobacuda]

According to history, Westinghouse and Tesla were friends.  JP Morgan and Edison, on the other hand, would be scheming a way to get their hands on the patent.

It was not the most difficult job on the truck, but it was time consuming and required more organization than I usually have to get it done right.  When I finished, no smoke and everything worked.  Made me feel the 80 hrs was well worth it.

[Jeff Balazs]

It seems to me there was a lot of static surrounding Tesla..........

As far as wiring one of these trucks goes it is a satisfying job. No smoke here either. If you are not worried about being 100% authentic it is about a 2 day job to make a harness from scratch and install it.

Jeff

[Los_Control]

1 hour ago, Jeff Balazs said:

As far as wiring one of these trucks goes it is a satisfying job. No smoke here either.

I was always under the impression that these old trucks electrical systems, were filled with smoke.

Only if there was a way to refill the  smoke,  once we let it out.

[Jeff Balazs]

40 minutes ago, Los_Control said:

I was always under the impression that these old trucks electrical systems, were filled with smoke.

Only if there was a way to refill the  smoke,  once we let it out.

Well the wires sure can smoke when they get too old...........

[Merle Coggins]

The smoke is injected into wires and electrical component upon assembly. It helps the electrons move about freely within the conductors. Once you let the smoke out the electrons can't move anymore and the electricity stop flowing.

[Don Coatney]

33 minutes ago, Merle Coggins said:

The smoke is injected into wires and electrical component upon assembly. It helps the electrons move about freely within the conductors. Once you let the smoke out the electrons can't move anymore and the electricity stop flowing.

Also take note of your return lines. The electricity must be returned to the source (battery in a car or the power company in a house) to be recycled. If this does not happen things will not work. Also the battery sometimes likes more electricity returned that it supplies but the power company (as shocking as it seems) gets very angry if you attempt to return more electricity than they deliver.

[Jeff Balazs]

And here I was thinking wires carry juice......and when the juice leaks out it makes smoke.

[desoto1939]

why is that when new owners get an antique cars and or trucks they feel that the internet should be the sole contact to get them out of any issue that they might have with their antique.  If you do not know anything about your antique then the first thing that you should get and it can be a reproduction item is the service manual and parts manual for your car/truck.

 

Most of the time this will provide  you with the wiring diagram for the car/truck how things are setup and how to take things apart and even the wiring order of the dizzy.  This SHOULD be the basic literature every owner should have.  Even if you are not a mechanic by trade at least you would have some reading material about the car/truck and then at least you can ask some intelligent questions and refer back that you have at least read the service and parts manual prior to always going to the forum to ask your questions.  Yes I do understand that we are all not super mechanically inclined but at least do some homework on your part first.  Try to learn something prior to asking everyone to come to your rescue. Knowledge is great an when you get stuck on the road then at least you have some source to reference or when working in your garage.

Comments welcomes.  We do not  want to offend anyone but at least put some effort to find the answer in a service manual first and then ask more detailed questions this is how you learn and how you learned when you were in school.

 

Rich Hartung 

 

Edited November 6, 2016 by desoto1939

[Plymouthy Adams]

2 hours ago, Jeff Balazs said:

And here I was thinking wires carry juice......and when the juice leaks out it makes smoke.

Well you closer than you think in what you saying but there is an added twist..if you overfill your battery it can leak through the wires and usually collects in the rear tail light assemblies...

[Los_Control]

 

25 minutes ago, desoto1939 said:

why is that when new owners get an antique cars and or trucks they feel that the internet should be the sole contact to get them out of any issue that they might have with their antique

I thought the original poster asked a very good question, even provided his research for example.

I then saw two other great examples of wiring diagrams come forth, none of them would you get from a manual.

And then a bunch of leg pulling going on for fun.

This is exactly why we use the internet to search for answers. You get some of the best advice available, from people that are interested in sharing their experience.

And you get a good laugh at the same time.

I suspect something else might be bugging you today desoto.

[desoto1939]

57 minutes ago, Los_Control said:

 

I thought the original poster asked a very good question, even provided his research for example.

I then saw two other great examples of wiring diagrams come forth, none of them would you get from a manual.

And then a bunch of leg pulling going on for fun.

This is exactly why we use the internet to search for answers. You get some of the best advice available, from people that are interested in sharing their experience.

And you get a good laugh at the same time.

I suspect something else might be bugging you today desoto.

The original poster never stated that he had looked in the service manual for his truck.  My my 39 Desoto the wiring diagram is included in the repair manual.  I am not saying that he should not search the internet but his first option should be to get the necessary support documentation and that should be the service manual.  This is the basics to your hobby to keep your truck running and to answer basic questions.  Since he did not have an example to compare  he wanted everyone else to do his homework.  Also by having the copy of the service manual he gets to know more about his truck.

I am not say that he should not ask questions but go beyond the first step to get the supporting documentation and then ask more detailed questions. And to answer your question nothing is bugging me. For your own information I do have an extensive collection of cross reference catalogs for our cars and trucks and do supply information, but this gentleman needs to spend sometime to acquire the service manual on his truck.  This is the basic information that any antique owner should have if they are in this hobby.

You also state that we use the internet to get information so then why did he not try to get the specific wire diagram for the particular year truck if he found one then there should be the appropriate one on the internet.

 

Hartung

Edited November 7, 2016 by desoto1939

[gbhdrake383]

1 hour ago, Los_Control said:

 

I thought the original poster asked a very good question, even provided his research for example.

I then saw two other great examples of wiring diagrams come forth, none of them would you get from a manual.

And then a bunch of leg pulling going on for fun.

This is exactly why we use the internet to search for answers. You get some of the best advice available, from people that are interested in sharing their experience.

And you get a good laugh at the same time.

I suspect something else might be bugging you today desoto.

 

Thank you for answering the question. All I needed was an answer. Not a whole long statement about new owners and blah blah. That's what a Forum is for. Questions and answers. Thank you. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

8 minutes ago, gbhdrake383 said:

 

Thank you for answering the question. All I needed was an answer. Not a whole long statement about new owners and blah blah. That's what a Forum is for. Questions and answers. Thank you. 

glad we go that settled.......